Advice for teachers -
Chinese First Language

Unit 2

Unit 2 Area of Study 1: Interpersonal communication

Outcome 1

Participate in a spoken or written exchange focusing on the resolution of an issue.

Examples of learning activities

These learning activities are based on:
Self and others: Education and aspirations: Future of work

• Listen to a careers educator talking on the topic of work.
• Research the topic of work in China. Search online for surveys and statistical information on the topic.
• Identify genres and types of work that are most popular in China. Create a vocabulary list and write descriptions of the top 10 jobs.
• Watch a documentary about work and employment in China. List the major trends in employment, the educational requirements for different jobs, jobs that are undergoing change and any other significant facts.
• Listen to a recording of people discussing their work. Note any information about how they chose their jobs and if they are likely to stay in their jobs for a long time.
• Conduct a survey in class to discover what jobs fellow students are interested in. Discuss the implications of these choices – financial, familial, economic, personal, etc.
• Debate in small groups the topic ‘The future of work in China is bright’. Use information gleaned from statistics researched and cite examples from individuals’ stories.
• Write a 350-word evaluative report on the debate topic for an economics magazine.
• Present the report as a three-minute speech supported by PowerPoint slides.
• Read an article on work in a country or region where Chinese is spoken and another about work in Australia. Compare the two different situations.
• Brainstorm ideas about the social, technological or global forces that may shape the future of work.
• Listen to news items about the future of work and summarise the information to present to the class in a three-minute speech.
• Investigate countries that have introduced a living wage. Explore the features and outcomes.
• 
  Participate in a spoken exchange with another person on the topic of work.
  

Detailed example

Spoken exchange on the topic of work

• Conduct research into the definition of work in a country or region where Chinese is spoken and note the educational requirements for different jobs.
• Create a database with two columns – Jobs / Education. Under the first heading, list a range of jobs and under the second heading, list their educational requirements. For example, server in a hamburger shop / no specific education needed, can be done part-time from age 15; doctor / 7 years at university.
• Brainstorm factors that can influence job choice and create a list of people or things that could influence an individual’s choice or job. Rank them from ‘most important’ to ‘least important’, giving reasons for each one.
• Read blogs written by people who are employed in their first job and summarise their thoughts about their work.
• Visit a government website and find the section on work and employment to discover statistics, noting any particular trends.
• Choose your topic for the exchange so that you have at least five solid points. Consider opposing views so that you can prepare to counter them appropriately.
• Refine your topic so that the issue that must be resolved is highlighted, especially in relation to your point of view. (Consider: Is it your personal point of view, or one given by your teacher?). Define the issue and discuss how a ‘resolution’ will be discerned.
• Listen to online discussions between people who are attempting to resolve issues. Note the following: How do they do it? Which people do it best and why? What do they do that makes them effective in resolving issues?
• List linguistic elements that form the basis for discussing and resolving issues in Chinese. Which ones are most effective for your purposes?
• Identify the way young people speak to each other compared to how they address an older person. Note similarities and differences and how this will affect your spoken exchange in class.
• Present a three-minute speech to the class in which you outline your issue, your point of view, your main points on how you will resolve the issue. Seek feedback from the class on the effectiveness of your points.
• Working in pairs, discuss how the speech points are presented and countered, and the issues resolved.
• Write up an ‘ideal’ conversation in which you present your issue, discuss it with an interlocutor, offer suggestions and then resolve it.

Unit 2 Area of Study 2: Interpretive communication

Outcome 2

Produce a spoken or written response to two texts on the same subtopic, selected from a combination of spoken, viewed or written texts.

Examples of learning activities

These learning activities are based on:
Tradition and change in Chinese-speaking communities: Youth issues: Study and leisure

• Discuss as a class what constitutes ‘study’ and ‘leisure’ in each student’s life. Write up the results and combine them into a poster.
• Write a summary of the class responses, noting the balance of study and leisure displayed. Consider whether these are representative of all students in Australia.
• Read articles about study and leisure in China and compare the conclusions to the results on the class poster. Discuss similarities and differences between China and Australia (as shown on the poster).
• Research this topic online, exploring study and leisure in a variety of different countries. Tabulate your findings.
• Write an opinion piece on this topic to be published on the class online platform. Consider: is it an important topic for you? What is more important for you?
• Read an article outlining health and wellbeing issues faced by young people when they study too much. Discuss this as a class. Summarise findings in a 100-word paragraph.
• Create a glossary of words and expressions to form a basis for understanding the topic.
• Read blogs from a country or region where Chinese is spoken about how young people balance study and leisure.
• View a series of images that depict young people engaged in leisure activities. Write a set of captions to accompany the images.
• Listen to a conversation between two young people in a country or region where Chinese is spoken, discussing their study and their ideas for increasing their leisure activities (or the opposite).
• Create a group poster listing problems and possible solutions gleaned from reading and listening to texts on the topic.
• Role-play in pairs asking each other questions about how things are going this year and offering ideas about study and leisure.
• Write a 300-word informative article for the school magazine outlining the various issues faced by young people in China.
• Create a PowerPoint presentation comparing issues of study and leisure in China with those in your school.
• Read authoritative advice for maintaining an appropriate balance of study and leisure.
• Read a variety of youth magazines and analyse the perspectives presented. Discuss any particularities of grammar and language usage.
• Write three questions to ask a partner about their study and leisure habits during Year 12. Following the exchange, write the answers in 100 to 150 words.
• 
  Read, view and listen to texts about study and leisure, and develop a response.
  

Detailed example

Reading, viewing, listening and responding to texts on the topic of study / leisure

• Watch a video in which students discuss how they study and talk about their preferred leisure activities.
• List study techniques used by students in their final year of schooling in a country or region where Chinese is spoken. Next to each technique, note vocabulary that was used effectively.
• Listen to a conversation between students on how their studies are progressing. Take notes on what they say to each other, their different opinions, and the language they use.
• Watch a vlog in which students talk about how to tackle Year 12 (or equivalent in China) in the most effective way possible.
• Find and read websites that target students and offer advice on study methods and the role of leisure activities. List ideas and advice provided on the sites.
• Role-play, in pairs or small groups, the topic ‘Relieving Year 12 stress by pursuing leisure activities’.
• Discuss the situation of a student who does little study because they prefer to pursue leisure activities.
• Watch a video about leisure activities in a country or region where Chinese is spoken. List the most popular activities among young people and give reasons for their popularity.
• Read letters or articles that explain a range of study regimes and analyse the different perspectives of students on how they balance these with leisure activities to maintain their health and wellbeing.
• Write a response to these questions about study and leisure. In the reply, include a discussion of the role of leisure in maintaining wellbeing. Demonstrate appropriate language, vocabulary and expressions that highlight your knowledge in this area, as well as grammar that showcases your linguistic ability.

Unit 2 Area of Study 3: Presentational communication

Outcome 3

Produce a personal or informative spoken or written response to a fictional text.

Examples of learning activities

These learning activities are based on:
Tradition and change in Chinese-speaking communities: Literature and the Arts: Film

• Watch a film or extracts of a film in Chinese.
• Make notes about the film under the headings: setting, plot, main characters, actors, soundtrack, special effects, themes or ideas.
• Read film synopses and critiques and identify the vocabulary used.
• Identify cultural aspects found in film critiques in a country or region where Chinese is spoken.
• Search for statistics on China’s film industry.
• Highlight, in a poster, various aspects of China’s film industry in order to choose a topic.
• Choose a topic and prepare a PowerPoint presentation on it to show the class.
• Read one or two articles on China’s films and/or film industry.
• Watch a video of interviews with actors, directors and producers in a country or region where Chinese is spoken and write a summary.
• Write 50- to 100-word paragraphs on: an actor, a director, the film industry in general.
• Identify cultural elements from your reading, viewing and listening. Are there any particular elements that could only come from a country or region where Chinese is spoken? How can you tell? What identifies them?
• Research notable actors OR directors in China’s film industry (or those who appear in films in other industries). Note their general filmography.
• Listen to directors speaking about their films. Identify their main concerns – artistic, economic or other.
• Write draft outlines for any one of the following topics:
  
  • Journal entry about a film you saw recently.
  • Imagine a film that you would like to direct and have a conversation with a leading actor you would like to star in it.
  • Write an informative article about an aspect of China’s film industry that interests you.
  • Write a letter to a Chinese film director about an idea that you have for a film.
• 
  Create a short informative video about a favourite film from a country or region where Chinese is spoken.
  

Detailed example

Create a short informative video about a favourite film from a country or region where Chinese is spoken

• View one or more films from a country or region where Chinese is spoken.
• Take notes on the elements of the film: setting, plot, main characters, actors, soundtrack, special effects, themes or ideas.
• Brainstorm ways of presenting information about the film in your video (selecting from the elements): for example, an interview or monologue.
• Discuss these possibilities with your teacher.
  
• Plan the structure of the video. Write it up as a series of dot points.
• Research the particular elements to be included in the video.
• Write a script, using a range of vocabulary and expressions appropriate for the purpose and the audience.
• Develop a storyboard for the video.
• Film.
• Edit as necessary.
• Show video to the class.
• Other students give oral and written feedback.